Programmatic Agreement/Programmatic Consultation

For the

NEBRASKA Federal-aid Highway Program
Endangered Species Act & Nebraska Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act

• Partners: Federal Highway Administration, Nebraska Department of Transportation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
• 2 products in one: an up-front, state-wide, program consultation for state and federally listed species for all federal-aid transportation projects in Nebraska -and- a standardized tool for completing project specific biological evaluations and documentation.
• Expected outcomes/benefits:
  • Standardized approach to making effect determinations for all federal-aid transportation projects in Nebraska
  • Standard documentation
  • Predictable patterns and timeframes for species compliance work
  • Documented and defensible program approach
  • Significant decrease in US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) staff time spent reviewing consultation materials
  • Allows resource agencies to focus efforts on larger projects and on projects with more complex species concerns
  • At a minimum, will save 5 weeks in all project specific delivery schedules.
• Have been piloting the tools and methodology since July 2009, as the program agreements and assessments were fine-tuned. Over 300 projects have been assessed with the tools as part of the pilot. This effort has already significantly benefitted program delivery in Nebraska.
• The Programmatic Agreement was signed in January 2012.
• For more information, contact:
  • Melissa Maiefski, FHWA: (402) 742-8473 or melissa.maiefski@dot.gov
  • Brooke Stansberry, USFWS: (308) 382-6468, Ext. 16 or brook.stansberry@fws.gov
  • Michelle Koch, NGPC: (402) 471-5438 or michelle.koch@nebraska.gov
  • Zach Cunningham, NDOR: (402)479-4766 or zach.cunningham@nebraska.gov